What Conflicting Medical Opinions Mean for Your Workers Comp Case

Here’s how conflicting medical opinions could impact your workers’ compensation claim and what you can do to deal with this situation if it arises.

Workers’ comp cases are often complicated. However, things can get really confusing when you add conflicting medical opinions into the mix. What does this mean for your case? How will it affect the outcome? In this article, we’ll discuss conflicting medical opinions and how they can impact your workers’ compensation claim. We’ll also provide some advice on dealing with this situation if it arises during your case.

How Are Medical Opinions Used in Workers Comp Cases?

In Missouri, injured workers are generally entitled to have their medical bills paid by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier. In order to determine whether an injured worker is eligible for this benefit, the insurance company will typically request a medical opinion, which is basically a report from a doctor that says whether or not the worker’s injuries are related to their job.

What Is a Conflicting Medical Opinion?

A conflicting medical opinion occurs when two different doctors give contradictory reports about whether or not an injured worker’s injuries are work-related. For example, one doctor may say that the worker’s injuries are due to a pre-existing condition, while another doctor may say that the injuries are due to an accident that happened at work.

Reasons for Conflicting Medical Opinions

There are a few different reasons why two doctors may give conflicting medical opinions. One reason is that they may be looking at different sets of evidence. For example, one doctor may have access to the worker’s complete medical history, while the other doctor may only have access to the worker’s records after the accident.

 Another reason for this discrepancy is that the two doctors saw the injured worker at different times and may have been given different information.

What Does This Mean for Your Case?

If your workers’ compensation case involves conflicting medical opinions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your claim will be denied. However, it will likely impact your case in some way.

One way that conflicting medical opinions can affect your case is by delaying the approval of your benefits. The insurance company will need additional time to review the conflicting opinions and may even need to get a third opinion. This can drag out your case and make it take longer to get the benefits you need.

Another way conflicting medical opinions can impact your case is by making it more difficult to prove that your injuries are work-related. The insurance company will generally lean towards the conflicting opinions and use them to argue that your injuries are not work-related.

Speak With an Attorney

If you have been injured on the job, we recommend speaking with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. They can help you navigate the claims process and help protect your legal rights. An attorney can help you understand how the conflicting opinions may impact your case and can develop a strategy for dealing with them.

St. Louis Workers Compensation Attorney

At The Law Offices of James M. Hoffman, we have over 30 years of experience helping injured Missouri workers get the benefits they’re legally entitled to. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your rights as an injured worker.